


Death By A Thousand Cuts

by FlyingDovahkiin



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, F/F, F/M, Forbidden Love, Idiots in Love, Love at First Sight, M/M, Multi, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:42:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25713004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingDovahkiin/pseuds/FlyingDovahkiin
Summary: One year later.Sara Ryder.  Pathfinder.But what does a Pathfinder do when everything is settled?Relaxing is not her strong suit, and neither is "settling down."What happens when a certain suave fly-boy that she'd shot to save Sloane comes back?And what happens when that same man kidnaps her to save her from herself?
Relationships: Female Ryder | Sara/Reyes Vidal, Gil Brodie/Male Ryder | Scott
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

Everything had been going  _ just _ fine.

Until now.

There she stood, scanning a familiar body, her brains splattered on the floor and wall she had been standing in front of. 

“Sloane Kelly.” SAM confirmed. Sara sighed, cutting her scanner before pressing her hand against her temples.

“Fuck.” She rose from the corpse, instantly on-guard. Old memories of a man long gone tried to rise to the forefront of her mind, but she shoved them back as she leaned against a nearby wall. 

As much as she had wanted something to do, this wasn’t the price she wanted to pay. 

“I know who did this, SAM.” She said, nodding to the cleanup crew standing guard at Sloane’s quarters. They shuffled in, their footfalls echoing in the sparse room. For someone who had been in charge of Kadara Port, she didn’t seem to indulge often in the finer things the Port--full of smugglers--had on offer. Sara looked into a nearby crate, noting the untouched bottle of something so familiar it  _ hurt. _

_ Mount Milgram.  _ Not the only bottle after all. There were six more.

“Pathfinder.” Sara ripped her gaze from the bottles to view the speaker, finding another of Sloane’s grunts standing before her with a mop. Sara grabbed the box. 

“I’ll show myself out.” She said. They didn’t even stop her.

So much for a “mini-cation.”

______________________________________

The box was the only thing she had with her when she checked into her room for the night. The inn was where the slums used to be, before Sloane expanded the port altogether.

Now that there wasn’t anyone trying to kill them. Sloane actually  _ said _ that. Since their deal had included no one paying protection fees anymore--new competition, you see--she had to relax everything to keep people from going back to the Initiative. 

The place she was staying at was very bare, somewhat beat up. But, hey. It worked. 

“Pathfinder.” SAM said, over their private channel. Sara sighed, finishing up with her shower. 

“SAM.” She said, turning the water off. Not the warmest shower, but hey. 

“You said you knew who killed Sloane Kelly.”

“That’s right.” She said, letting herself air dry the rest of the way as she brushed her teeth, combing through her hair with her fingers. Music played gently from her omni-tool, which sat on the counter beside the small tube of toothpaste that came with the room. 

“There are many suspects.” SAM said. 

“Yes. Of which, Tann could be one. But…”

“Yes, Pathfinder?”

“ _ Reyes. _ ” She whispered. Memories from a year ago flashed through her mind.

His smirk. God, his smirk! Her heart hurt to remember him, after how they had parted.

Painfully.

“He could be a suspect, Pathfinder.” SAM agreed. “Although, the lack of evidence--”

“I know, SAM.” She said, her eyes flicking up to see her reflection in the stock-standard mirror. 

Had she always had dark circles under her eyes?

“A year would be enough time for him to come back.” SAM said. 

“SAM.” She whispered, dropping her eyes from her reflection. “I need sleep.”

“Yes, Pathfinder. Good night.”

Silence followed, leaving Sara in the darkened room, the blinds closed. 

“Why do you haunt me?” Sara asked, barely above a whisper. “We didn’t know each other. You have no damn business in my head, Reyes.” 

She was stuck on this planet, in this port until the morning. The others would be back with the Tempest, except for a couple of crew mates that had taken time off.

Not a lot was happening in their solar system lately. But the Pathfinder was so... _ tired. _ She’d become something  _ other _ than what she had been before her father died, subsisting on  _ just _ enough to survive.

Because she couldn’t fucking sleep. Everything she had seen and dealt with…

The goodbyes she had said to so many she had never met before took a piece of her. Piece by piece, she could feel herself slipping away. Into what? She didn’t know.

Her team was there for her when she really needed them, with Scott having moved into the Tempest with them. She was  _ pretty _ sure he had been chasing after Gil.

Everyone on her crew was happy, with lives of their own. Some even found love. Cora was at least six months along in her pregnancy, having not wasted any time after marrying a lucky guy. Suvi said she was still waiting for “the one,” Kallo more than happy to still have his best friend on the crew with him.

Kallo would be on board forever. Sara knew that for certain.

Most of her missions had been diplomatic these past few months. Keeping everything calm between the exiles and the Krogan, with a strong bond to nurture with the Angara.

Sara cracked open a bottle, sitting in bed as she tilted it back, waiting for the whiskey to pour. 

She got a mouthful of information, instead.

Literally.

“A...data drive?” 

The wall exploded, throwing Sara against the far wall. The last thing she remembered was a familiar voice shouting her name.

__________________________________________

  
  


_ “Why did you come here, Reyes?” _

“ _ To  _ _ be _ _ someone.” _

Light trickled softly through the blinds as a gentle breeze blew through them. 

_ Clack, clack. _

“Sir.” She heard a woman whisper to someone by her bedside. Sara kept her eyes closed as she tried to listen, but that same voice that brought warmth to her bones and core responded.

“Not now.” 

“But--” A beat. “I’ll send it to your terminal.”

“Thank you.”

Sara felt a hand slip into hers, raising her hand up far enough to kiss it. A tear slipped down her cheek, before she opened her eyes to see the one face she never thought she’d see again.

The way he looked at her sent her mind reeling. Relief was clear on his face, leaving Sara to watch as he pressed another kiss to her hand.

“Reyes.” She said, her voice warmer than it was a second ago. Much less a croak. He smiled.

“Sara.” He said. 

Silence. 

“No.” She said, pulling her hand from his. For a split second, she could see the devastation on his face, before he carefully hid it. “SAM!”

Nothing.

“SAM!” Panic was very quickly taking over, without any response from the AI. Sara was out of the bed, clad in a pair of yellow cotton shorts and a loose shirt. 

It was  _ his _ shirt. The scent hit her, calming her.

“What did you  _ do,  _ Reyes?” She asked the man beside her bed. The floor on her bare feet was cold, leaving her shivering as she stood there, looking at Reyes, who had risen as well. He looked…

He came around to where she stood, carefully approaching her as if she were a wounded varren. 

“I’m here to save you.” Reyes said. 

Ryder blinked.

Then laughed like a mad man.

“ _ Me? _ ” She asked, mid-laugh. “ _ You,  _ the  _ Underboss _ of Kadara--”

“Well...not to be sensitive, but I  _ am _ the new King here.”

“Uh-huh.” She said, before doubling over. 

“Ahhh. There’s the pain.” Reyes said, sighing. He helped Ryder sit, despite Sara’s glare. 

“ _ I _ don’t need your help,  _ Reyes. _ ” She hissed. 

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?” He asked. Her words died on her tongue, leaving her speechless. “You’re completely malnourished, dehydrated, and haven’t been sleeping.”

“What?” She asked. “ _ NOW  _ you care?” She asked.

“More than anyone else does, from the looks of it.”

“I have my own doctor.”

“When was the last time you ate, Ryder?” He asked. “That’s what I thought.”

“I’m...not hungry.” She said, unable to look him in the eye. 

“Well...then we’ll keep you on IV food.” He said, a gleam in his eye. “Delicious.”

“Why are you  _ really _ here?” She asked. 

“Why does it have to be for anything?” He asked, sitting beside her on the bed. “Why should I stand by like  _ everyone else _ and see you work yourself to death?”

“I’m not--” She was about to reply, but was quickly cut off by his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. 

“Do you want to become your father?” He asked. 

Her mouth shut.

“You left.” Sara said, stubbornly not letting her tears fall. He reached for her, touching her cheek. 

“You shot me.” He said, smirking. “I figured that was a good time to disappear.”

“You lied to me.” She said. 

“No, Sara.” He said. “Not about everything.” Sara could feel her face heat as her tears escaped, making way down her cheeks to be caught by Reyes. 

Her vision blurred, her eyelids drooping. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked down to where she was connected by IV, seeing that Reyes had injected something into the tube. Before she could say anything, she looked at Reyes as he lowered her to the large bed she had been laying in. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was enveloped in the scent of Reyes.

“I’m sorry, mi amor.” He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. The rest of what he said was drowned out by the ringing in her ears of SAM trying to reconnect.

______________________________________

“Scott. Wake up.”

Scott opened his eyes to see Gil suiting up, and rather quickly. 

“SAM?” He asked. 

“The Pathfinder’s implant has been blocked. I cannot connect to her.” 

Scott was up and dressed in less than two minutes, running out into the hallway of the Tempest. Gil gave him a kiss before running to the engine bay, passing Jaal on the way back. 

“What’s going on?” Scott asked Jaal. The look on Jaal’s face was deadly.

“SAM and Ryder aren’t connected.” He said. “He can’t find her.”

“SAM!” Scott said, marching up the ladder and onto the bridge. Kallo was already awake, with Suvi already having brewed coffee and consumed a couple of cups. 

“Kadara, Scott.” Suvi said, sitting down in her seat. 

“Take us out, Kallo.


	2. Wicked Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovely shippers. I was nervous about posting this fic--it's an idea that really hit me out of the blue, amidst my millionth playthrough of Andromeda.  
> Then I realized that even though I love Jaal so much...I haven't the willpower points to withstand the wiles of Reyes Vidal.  
> That voice.  
> That feeling I get when Sara kissed him during the party (and after).  
> That damned smirk.  
> Send me to hell, because that's where I belong.
> 
> The song featured in this chapter is called, "Wicked Game," by Ursine Vulpine ft. Annaca. If you have not listened to it, treat yo'self! I think I have it up every time I write Sara. 
> 
> Also, Luke Pasqualino for Reyes? I swear, he looks just like him when he's in "Our Girl." Just...*fans self*

_The world was on fire and no one could save me but you._

_It's strange what desire will make foolish people do._

Blink. Once, twice...eyelashes brushing against skin. 

_I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you_

_And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you_

Breeze brushed past wispy, transparent curtains, billowing. The sun kissed her skin from windows above her, the breeze tickling her cheek with a stray hair. 

Sara smiled.

Reyes Vidal was a goner.

Of course, she wasn’t smiling _at him._ Whatever dream had her attention had her smiling in a way he’d never witnessed from her.

Because he screwed it up. His hand reached up to his shoulder, where he knew Sara’s bullet hit the last time he saw her.

Which, in hindsight, wasn’t true. He would admit to everyone he could tell--that would listen to him--that he had been keeping a special eye on the Pathfinder. 

Information came easier when Vetra was convinced that Sara needed him somehow. Slowly, one member of her team after another became increasingly more concerned, leaving Vetra no real choice but to reach out to someone who _wasn’t_ Initiative. 

The reports came from more of her crew members, even addressing him by name. He had come to rely on their reports, trying not to jump the gun before his plans to become a leader in his own right came to fruition. 

The Charlatan and the Pathfinder? No. He needed to be more than just…

The Pathfinder was practically _royalty._ She would need a fellow ruler by her side, not some rag-tag pilot with connections. 

She needed a _king._

From the shadows of the underbelly of Kadara, Reyes Vidal took back control of the Port. It was easy, with Keema on his side. 

Which was a conversation that he wished he never had; telling Keema he had been right to keep that secret from Sara. 

“You should have never kept the secret that long.” Keema had said. “That’s why she shot you. You didn’t tell her earlier. Surprised her. And you expected her to let you shoot the best chance for her people? The Charlatan never offered her a deal for _her people_. Don’t you see?”

“See what?” Reyes said, tersely. Keema smiled sadly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“In that context...you were telling her that her people don’t matter. You were just a selfish man that was using her to take over the port. She had _no idea_ what that could mean for her people. She’s carrying the weight of _two galaxies_ alone.”

Reyes’ brows creased, his gaze dropping to his hands. Somewhere deep down, anger began to show itself, the strong muscles in his hands contracting. 

“She deserves someone better than this.” Reyes said. 

“Then _do_ something about it.”

It was a long game, but he got every little piece of information from the Nexus. Every file he obtained was worth the thousands of credits he had accumulated over the past year. 

He now had _the_ largest network of informants in Andromeda. Connections _everywhere._ People and contacts littered the galaxy. 

If there was a Shadow Broker in this galaxy, he’d be it.

The files were all copied and put onto thumb drives, dumped into whiskey bottles for safekeeping. The old joke wasn’t lost on him...he could really find actual answers at the bottom of the bottle.

Of course, Sloane had the thumb drives in her place. Right where they would be found, and somehow the Nexus would assume they were off the hook because the original copies were found.

Too bad Reyes had already transferred the files without a trace to many, _many_ networks.

Needless to say, he was set.

Reyes Vidal would never leave her side again.

________________________________

Things had begun to change months after they beat the kett at Meridian. 

Sara watched as people woke up from their very long sleep, with an actual _chance_ of surviving. Sara and her team took care of things as quickly as possible so that _thriving_ was also a possibility.

Even as people thanked her and settled hard, Sara continued to work.

And work. And work.

No matter how exhausted she was at the end of every mission, sleep would bring nightmares. 

Drak, blaming her for choosing the Salarian Pathfinder over his scouts. Her father blaming her for his death, and her mother being woken from Cryo, only to die when she was on a mission far away.

Scott’s heart giving out in the kett stronghold instead of what actually happened. In the end, one thing was always bound to happen.

Sara would be alone. Forever.

Chances to meet someone on a blind date Suvi and Cora set up for her fell through her fingers. Every man or woman they set her up with were great, usually smart as hell.

But they had no idea what it meant to be Pathfinder. No one knew what it was like those past months, waking up to a universe of death and kett, trying to keep it from exploding in their faces.

Tracking down the arks? Making those choices that people--krogan, asari, everyone--would blame her for the rest of her life. 

And having an AI in her head? Able to stop her heart from beating? That alone was another topic that she could **not** talk about to anyone. 

They didn’t get it, those she told. Those on her crew that knew what happened had no idea how to approach the topic, with Sara _definitely_ never bringing it up.

Living with being one of the most famous public figures in Andromeda made Sara want to disappear and never be found. Maybe she could borrow Hyperion and aim it back at the Milky Way, where she wasn’t a legend. 

They said no.

Sara had talked with the other Pathfinders, for what little time they were all available. It helped...somewhat. None of them had been through what she had, but they knew a few things here and there when it came to SAM and being a Pathfinder.

The truth was--after everything she’d been through--she knew there was no going back after that. How was she supposed to go from Pathfinder...to raising babies? To being married? To being with _anyone?_

The thrill and adventure...how could she come down from that? It became harder, day by day, to keep up with anything that meant living. 

Tann hadn’t been the one giving her missions. Sara had been the one going out of her way to find that same thrill of working with her team, not ready for any of it to be over.

But it was. So what use was she?

Everything felt so...dim. Excitement over movie nights and nights out with the girls began to fade, leaving her numb and wondering why she was alive anymore.

Lexi didn’t scold her like she used to in the beginning when Ryder came in with all sorts of wounds from fights she could have avoided. 

But those battles--no matter how small--made her feel _alive._

When Addison called last, it was to have Sara check out a crime scene. An explosion later found Sara in a bed that smelled like home.

There was a squawk of something nearby, fully waking her enough for Sara to be reaching for a gun by her bedside.

Except it wasn’t there.

Sara’s chest was heaving as her head reeled, clutching at her stomach as she felt a stitch rip. She grunted, seeing the door hiss open just before she toppled the bed with her biotics, using it as a shield.

Sara hadn’t been without SAM for a year, but she was her own person before that. 

Right?

“Sara?” She heard a commanding yet very alluring voice from the other side of the bed. She looked up, her eyes meeting Reyes’ as he stood looking down at her. 

“I...can’t.” She said, shaking her head. “I can’t deal with this nightmare right now.”

“Nightmare?” His soothing, silky-smooth voice said. He didn’t move for her, giving her space to breathe. 

Sara looked wildly at the open balcony.

_______________________________


	3. Frigid Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy kudos! Thank you everyone. :) Those kudos really motivate me. :) Feel free to leave a comment if you want to talk story or just fandom. I LOVE geeking out with fellow shippers!  
> Now, on with the chapter.

“No, Sara.” Reyes felt his heart sink. She looked back up at him, tears dripping from her eyes as her mouth curved into a small smile. His heart fluttered.

“I...wish you were real.” She said. In a split second, as he was about to respond, Sara was sprinting for the balcony.

“Sara!” He chased after her. With very little effort, Sara swan-dived from the balcony, diving beautifully into the sea below them.

Reyes followed, without thinking about it. He knew his guards would be following the old-fashioned way--those stairs--but he would never let her go again.

Not like this.

The water sent pins and needles through his body as he hit the water, the cold knocking the wind from his lungs. But he kept swimming, his eyes adjusting quickly to the salty water around them.

Reyes was a much stronger swimmer than anyone he knew, which included the Pathfinder as he easily caught up with her. Her eyes widened as he grabbed her, kicking them up to the surface.

They hadn’t swam far from the shore. He pulled them onto the sand and grass, before he lay panting next to Sara.

“Reyes.” He heard her say, softly. He looked over to where she lay, glistening, her clothes quite sheer. 

She was so _beautiful._

“What were you _thinking_?” He asked, taking her face into one of his hands while pulling her close with his other arm. Her eyes bore into his, seeing everything he was laid bare.

For her. Only for her. 

A dainty hand reached up to touch his cheek, surprise in her gaze. 

“You’re…” She whispered, tears in her eyes again. 

“I’m not going _anywhere._ ” He said, his voice deep and firm. He could feel his body responding to how close he was to her, his hand sliding down to her hip. He gripped her there, watching her watch him until he couldn’t take it anymore.

His lips crashed onto hers, a storm meeting land. Reyes knew this wasn’t like him to take such bold chances when he was so unsure of it benefitting him.

But goddammit did he want it to work.

Sara’s lips froze, scaring him...before her tongue was dancing with his. 

_____________________________________________

_If this is a dream..._ Sara thought as they kissed on the beach. Her hands impatiently went down the front of his button-down shirt, ripping it open. 

_I never want to wake up._

Buttons flew around them, with Sara’s shirt soon joining Reyes’. Reyes hefted her into his arms, his muscles flexing as he carried her back into the mansion by the sea. Her legs wrapped around his waist, with Reyes pressing her front flush with his to preserve her modesty as he carried them past his guards.

He kicked the doors to his luxurious bedroom on the first floor open, with Sara kicking it closed behind them. Her lips were the only heaven he knew and would worship until the end of his days.

Instead of taking them to his bed, he made a turn and walked them into the bathroom. He sat her on the counter, not even bothering to close the door. Sara let out a small whine when he parted, turning on the water to the shower quickly before he turned back to her, smirking.

That smirk of his died as soon as he saw her wound, blood trickling from the ripped sutcher. Sara looked down, following his gaze, her brow furrowing.

“Oops.” She said, her gaze meeting his again. “Nothing terrible, looks like. What was it from? I don’t remember getting it.”

“The explosion. There was shrapnel embedded in your stomach.”

“And _who_ set the explosion, Reyes?” She asked. Reyes had his omni-tool out, speaking low into it before it disappeared. Guilt plagued him. 

“I didn’t know it was you, Ryder.” He said. “Someone stole the drives from Sloane’s, we suspected another smuggler.”

Sara sighed. “Wow.” She stood up, hissed, then sat back down. In came the doctor at that moment, sighing as he took a look at the wound.

“Should have kept her asleep for another day, Vidal.” He said, sewing the wound closed for the second time. Sara looked like she was surprised for a second there, before looking away from what the doctor was doing.

Her eyes met his before she looked away. Reyes could feel the disappointment in her gaze, wondering when that would change, if at all.

After slapping a waterproof patch over the wound, the doc left them alone.

“We’re on Voeld.” Sara said. Reyes’ eyebrows went up.

“That was fast.” He said, sitting on the counter next to her. 

“It’s almost like I run missions as often as possible.” Sara said, looking at him. “I know every planet inside and out. Don’t need a SAM for that.”

“I’m sensing something of a threat coming.” Reyes said. Sara smirked, before standing up. Reyes was pleasantly surprised when she undid her bra, letting it fall to the floor with her back to him. 

“If you don’t mind…” She said, looking over her shoulder. “I’d like to take a shower.”

“Ahh. I’ll leave you to it...mi amor.” 

_______________________________________________

The soap he had in his private shower smelled _just_ like him. And to think, for the master planner Reyes was, and to not have something feminine for her to use waiting for her…

_Or for a random fling that had left her go-bag behind. I should really look under his bed to see if someone had left behind a lacy article of clothing._

Better than what she owned, honestly. All of her lacy underwear had gone missing since...wait. 

Since she shot him. Or, rather, shortly after. 

What the fuck, Reyes?

Sara finished in the shower, toweling off quickly and wrapping the towel around herself before walking out to find clothing on the bed.

Her missing underwear. She picked up the lacy blue cheekies, sighing at the texture of lace. She’d found and been presented with softer materials made by angara, but this…

They were too big, it turns out. She could have cried, but was too scared and angry to do anything but take them off and toss them into the trash bin.

At least she had a robe, right?

Except for the robe being lacy and sheer. The bra didn’t fit, either. All of her curves had faded with her weight loss from not taking care of herself.

She was now tiny.

“Too big?” Sara jumped at Reyes observing from a chair in the corner of the room. 

“Yeah.” She said. He must have watched the entire thing. Her cheeks flushed as she realized, trying to cover her nakedness with the sheer robe. Shame had her looking down at her toes, which were soon joined by booted, large feet. 

“Sara.” He tried to tilt her chin up to look at him, but her eyes darted away from his. “Look at me.” She gathered her courage, her eyes flicking to meet his warm gaze. Emotion swelled within her chest, spreading up her throat and ending with a whimper, expelled from her lips. 

“I never thought I’d see you again.” She said, softly. Reyes’ heart broke.

“I was wrong...to not tell you.” He said, caressing her cheek. “I am hardly wrong about anything. I can plan years ahead of time and have everything come out just the way I expected it to. But not you. Not me. I was wrong, Sara. Please...forgive me.”

The dam broke.

Sara wound up on the floor, cradled in Reyes’ lap as she sobbed more than she ever had in her life.

“ _I couldn’t fucking save him_ !” She sobbed on his shoulder, with his arms around her, holding her tight to him. “ _And I couldn’t save everyone...and--”_

Sara’s sobs echoed into the night, into Reyes’ dreams long after he took her to bed. 

He woke to one of his guards, Eduardo, shaking his shoulder gently. 

“A response has arrived from Raven.” He said, quietly. Even though Sara was still clearly asleep, Ed was whispering respectfully. 

He would definitely keep Ed around.

“I’ll be right there.” Reyes said. So much for a vacation. He waited for Ed to step out first before he turned to Sara. In the dim glow of the night lights, he smiled softly. Some of her hair had gotten into her face, giving him the chance to brush it over her ear. 

Those cute ears of hers. _Damn, Sara._ She had no _clue_ how often he thought about sucking on one, only to blow into her ear a second later.

Would he hear her squeal from space? Only one way to find out. 

But...not now. Not after the breakthrough she’d just had. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Mmmm...Reyes?” He smiled softly, pressing his forehead to hers.

“Yes, Mi Amor?” He asked.

“Tuck me in?” She asked, sleepily. He had to question her when she was awake next, his chuckle as soft as his gaze on her. He brought the blanket up around her, tucking her in tenderly. Not once did she open her eyes, her lips curled in a smile. She really was asleep.

“Be back soon, Sara.” He kissed her forehead again, smelling the same shampoo he used in her hair. Something primal flared to life within him at her scent mixed with his, his mind already skipping to wondering what their child would smell like. Reyes caught himself, shaking his head as he backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“Make sure she’s safe.” Reyes said to the guard--Yosef--posted at their door. Yosef nodded, the silent type. But with that silence came sincerity. 

Reyes found his way to the car waiting outside, straightening his hair and changing into the spare shirt that was waiting for him. He looked down, his eyebrows raised at the button-down that no longer had buttons.

_I’m going to have to take a cold shower._


	4. Pathfinder, Evolved.

“News of the Pathfinder’s death is all over the galaxy.” The speaker smirked. “You’ve more than upheld your end. Now it’s only fair that I uphold my promise.” 

In the lavish hotel in which they were doing business, a cart with a covered dish was wheeled out by a very handsome waitress. Without a second glance at the waitress, she unveiled the surprise.

Served up on a silver platter...was a key.

“It will be a pleasure to conduct business in the future...Director Tann.”

The Salarian sniffed. “Don’t get used to it.” Tann left with his armed guard. 

Reyes grabbed the key from the tray, tipping a small salute to the maid. He left quickly using the back door. 

He couldn’t  _ believe _ Tann had taken the bait  _ so quickly. _ All Reyes had to do was say a few key words, and bam. Eating out of his hands.

Now Tann had what he believed to be the original files stuffed in whiskey bottles, everything incriminating washed down the drain alongside the whiskey he had drank from those same bottles, once upon a time.

But Reyes had thought ahead, even got video of Tann contracting him to kill Sara Ryder.

Tann didn’t know it yet, but he had dug his own grave. Not only did Reyes send copies of those Andromeda files to no fewer than thirty places across the galaxy, but he had every means to be able to send it wherever he needed to, to however many people lived in Andromeda.

But the time was not yet. No, there was much left to do in his master plan, and he aimed to take his time with this one.

He was no longer just an agent. Everyone would know who he was from the start.

___________________________________________

_ Mi Amor, _

_ The closet has been stocked for you. Help yourself.  _

_ Might I suggest something slinky? _

_ Yours, _

_ R. _

Sara stepped out of the shower, before she heard a knock on the door.

“Yes?” She asked, cautiously. She wrapped a cotton robe that smelled like Reyes over herself, loving how it dwarfed her. 

“We are ready for you, Ma’am.” Came a male voice on the other side of the door.  _ Wait...what? _ She thought, before stepping into the bedroom.

The bed itself had disappeared, replaced with several people and various machines and supplies. 

“Uh...hi.” She said, sheepishly. A Salarian hurried over to where she stood, at once stripping the robe from her shoulders. Sara gasped, trying to snatch the robe back, but someone tutted from where they were standing behind her.

“Definitely need full-body hair removal.” The man said, and she was instantly reminded of Gil. Although...he was  _ very _ well-groomed, his mustache curled into elegant handlebars. His skin was a beautiful shade of olive. She almost ached from the curiosity of how smooth it must have been.

“W-what’s going on?” She asked, her face as red as a tomato. The man gave her a dastardly smirk, before taking one of her hands in his own, pressing a polite kiss to it. 

“You must be Sara.” He said. “Dorian Pavus. Pleasure to meet the infamous Pathfinder.” He winked. “I am here with a team of the galaxy’s best beauty professionals.”

“Ooookay.” Ryder said, one of her hands still covering her nethers, the blush not receding even a little.  _ No one  _ saw her naked. That was a damn fact.

Except for that time everyone went skinny-dipping in Aya...since certain members of the team had excellent night-vision.

Dorian had begun to circle her, like a proctor in an exam room during a final. 

“Can I have my robe back, please?” She asked, shivering. 

“Soon, dear. I promise.” Dorian said. “Now, hair trim. Have our dental team give her a thorough cleaning--it’s been over 600 years--and--”

“We’ve got it, Dorian.” The Salarian said, then turned to her. “I’m Luna. Please, come this way. We’ll begin with hair removal.”

Ryder whimpered.

__________________________________________________

Maybe unleashing his style team on Sara had been too much, Reyes thought as one of the guards opened the front doors for him. He could feel his shoulders relax instantly as he stepped over the threshold of his home, which looked like a darker version of Aya. 

More cozy.

“Ahh. There’s our glorious benefactor.” Dorian greeted from the grand staircase. 

“Hello, gorgeous.” Reyes said, smirking. “How’d it go?” Dorian offered him a mischievous smile. 

“Better than Miss Congeniality.” He said, gracefully walking down the stairs. “In fact...you’re right on time.” He gestured up the steps, where his team had been putting the finishing touches on their masterpiece. “I give you...the future Sara Vidal.”

His eyes widened. “Well, so much for surprises.” Dorian winked, reaching the bottom of the steps before giving Reyes a small kiss on his cheek. 

Then he heard heels on tile, grabbing his attention instantly. His jaw fell open.

There she stood, clad in the slinkiest dress he had ever seen her in. The front was a deep V-cut, with feathers lining the cut. It was a little black number that was also backless, especially accompanied with the sinful red stilettos she wore effortlessly. Thigh-high stockings left so much yet so little to the imagination, her beautiful breasts pushed up just so. 

She descended the stairs, which Dorian took as his cue to leave with his team. They had already packed up for the day, the caravan waiting for him outside. 

Reyes didn’t notice him leave at all. Let’s just say all the blood used to power his brain was diverted indefinitely to his  _ other _ head.

“Sara…” 

“It took  _ all day. _ ” She said, biting her lip. Reyes smirked, taking her hand in his, pressing a very heated kiss to the back of it. His warm gaze flicked up to meet hers, noticing her relax a little. 

“Spin for me.” He said. She smiled, doing a slow turn in those deadly heels. Reyes resisted biting his lip as he visually devoured her, knowing that Sara was blushing beneath that make-up she wore. 

And that  _ smell. _ Like...warmth and sex and falling in love mixed with a nice whiskey. There was an undertone of some sort of flower, one he didn’t have a name for.

“What’s all this for?” Sara asked. Reyes smiled, stepping closer to her. 

“We’re going out.” 

“Here I thought I was your prisoner.” Sara said, taking his arm when he offered it. He stopped immediately, turning to her. Something in his eyes made Sara want to take what she said back immediately...and never speak again.

“ _ Everyone _ in this galaxy  _ owes you their lives,  _ Sara.” He said, his voice low, his emotions dark, yet very much in check. Sara wanted to look away from his gaze, but couldn’t tear her eyes away.

_ Wouldn’t _ look away. In that moment, she saw how much he actually  _ cared _ in a way that put her first. How  _ harsh _ and  _ raw _ the heat in his gaze somehow warmed her, as if she were enveloped in the embrace of a flaming phoenix.

Without burning alive. The warmth radiating from Reyes spurred her heart into feeling so alive, it was whistling like a kettle over flame. Her face broke into a wide smile as she looked at Reyes, before she flung her arms around him.

Reyes was a goner. 

“Sara…” He whispered into her ear, holding her close. “I need to tell you something.” Sara pulled away, her smile fading as she saw his frown.

“I’m listening.” She said. 


	5. Ashes to Ashes

Scott couldn’t believe it, sitting in his chair at the most ridiculous function he had  _ ever _ been to in his life.

And he was military.

His fists clenched and unclenched for the ninth time that day, from finding the exploded hotel room his sister had supposedly occupied the night before.

No. This wasn’t right. None of it was.

SAM hadn’t been passed to anyone else, while he, himself, told them he suspected foul play. 

She was  _ alive _ . The whole crew  _ knew _ better than to doubt that, after not finding her remains. 

Nothing had been there, not even a toothbrush.

Soft music played in the large chapel on Meridian. Scott watched as Tann walked out onto the stage, where Sara’s urn sat on the pulpit. 

“We are gathered together on Meridian. It is with great sorrow...that we lay another Ryder to rest." His eyes caught Scott’s, a silent gaze that had a tally. 

Scott knew he was next. Then mom.

Tann wouldn’t stop until they were dead.

“Sara Ryder...we all owe you our lives.” Tann droned on. Scott looked up and down the row, where he sat with the Tempest crew. 

Each of them glared in solidarity.

“You will be remembered, Sara Ryder.” Tann said, nodding to someone at the controls. 

_ Huh. _ Scott thought.  _ Didn’t they have someone else at the controls earlier? _

Instead of a moving, cliched song playing with a low-budget slide show of pictures of Sara, there was conversation.

_ “Kill Sara Ryder.”  _ The video projected on the wall was of none other than Tann speaking. “ _ And give me those data drives. You’ll be paid handsomely.” _

_ “Kill the Pathfinder?” The person holding the camera asked. “That’s going to cost you, Director.”  _

_ “Can you get it done?” Tann asked, glaring.  _

_ “Easily.” The voice said.  _

_ “Get it done. Here’s the first half.” The cameraman held his omni tool up, showing the amount that was transferred to the account. _

The room was silent, until Tann was screaming for security. No one came to help, only standing there watching the Salarian panic.

Scott rose from his seat.

“Please, stay seated!” Tann said, backing away. 

Music began to play, the doors to the chapel opening, admitting two.

The woman--clad in a revealing, feathered dress--was wearing a black veil over her face. The man wore a fedora, obscuring his face from view.

Together, they strode down the aisle, her stilettos clicking as she walked powerfully down the length of red carpet.

_ Who the fuck is that? _

“ **EXCUSE ME** !” Tann shouted, before he stumbled out of the way. The man offered his gloved hand to the woman, which she gracefully took. As soon as they got to the urn, the woman opened it, looking inside.

Then she dumped it out. People gasped, scattering away from the stage so they wouldn’t get what they thought was human ash on them.

Except...sand poured out. The woman sighed, shaking her head as she tossed the damned thing to the ground.

Then she removed the veil.

“Sara!” Scott said, placing his hand over his heart, trying to catch his breath.

“Hello, brother.” She said, smirking. “Nice of you all to turn out for…” Ryder shrugged. “... _ my _ funeral. Although, since I’m sure not all of you in the back heard earlier…” She pointed at the person at the controls, who smiled and re-played the video. 

“So SAM…” Sara said to the room. 

“Yes, Pathfinder?” He asked. 

“How legit is this video?”

“According to scans and other pieces of evidence in back channels,” He said. “This is real enough to count as a confession, Pathfinder.” The room was silent before it erupted into chaos.

__________________________________________

It was clear she couldn’t return to the Initiative after this. 

If the  _ Director _ had tried to kill her, who else was of that same mind? 

Why did she care now?

As the chaos in the church went on, Sara and her crew moved quickly. 

Tann was already gone. They got her over to the comms room on base--just a few buildings down from where they had been--and she was connecting to Addison within moments.

“This had better be good--” She was in her night clothes, with a sleep mask pushed over her forehead. 

“Hello, Addison.” Sara said. Addison’s jaw dropped.

“Ooookay. What the hell is going on?” Reyes stepped forward, smirking.

“Check your terminal, Director.” He said. Sleepily, she complied, still sneaking peeks at the screen to make sure Ryder was still there.

“What’s this? It’s the agreement.”

“The Pathfinder, if they are ever in jeopardy from inside sources…” Reyes began from memory. 

“Enough of this bullshit.” Addison said, throwing her tablet out of sight. “Pathfinder. You’re alive.”

“That obvious?” She asked. “So, here’s what’s going to happen, Addison.” Sara held the document up for her to see it in her hands. “You don’t get a Pathfinder anymore. In fact, since this was  _ all _ my dad’s research, which is protected by the agreement...the Pathfinders could all be shut down.”

“Who the hell agreed to these terms?” She asked. 

“You did, for one.” Reyes said, rolling his eyes. 

“So...since I don’t feel very safe, thanks to a certain  _ Director _ placing a hit on me…”

“You’re leaving.” Addison said, suddenly clear and awake. 

“Damned right I am.” Sara said. Reyes watched as Sara brought her face close to the camera. 

“What about your mother?” Addison said. 

“Treat her well, and there will be no problems.” She said. “Find a cure sooner, and I  _ might _ think about coming back.”

“Look, Ryder--”

“It’s not Sara you should be worried about.” Reyes said. He cast a glance to Ryder, who nodded slowly. “You are about to have a rebellion on your hands.”

Addison was silent for a moment. “I’ll bite. What are you talking about?”

Reyes removed his fedora. “It’d be a shame for everyone to see what was on those data drives.” Addison paled.

“Goddammit!” She shouted.

“We’ll be in touch... _ Director. _ ” With that, Reyes shut off the device, leaving the room dark and silent. Sara could hear her heart thumping in her ears, her body tingling with an overflow of biotics and excitement from the turn this night had taken.

“Sara.” She turned, looking at Reyes through her swirling, blue and purple biotics that was radiating off her in waves. 

“Reyes.” She whispered. He watched her.

“Do you always glow like that?” He asked, his voice a whisper meant for only her ears. Sara shook her head, her gaze finding his after looking down at her hands.

“Reyes...I…” Her knees began to wobble. “Something’s  _ wrong. _ ” Her hands were trembling as she held them up to examine them, before she was in Reyes’ arms.

“I’ve got you.” He said, his voice deep and soothing. Sara tried to speak, but her lips wouldn’t move. Without warning, Sara heard the door open, and a familiar voice ring out.

“Sara?” Lexi came into view. Sara couldn’t move, couldn’t feel her body. Lexi shone a small pen light into Sara’s eyes, then nodded.

“What do you need, Lexi?” Reyes asked, his voice low. 

“Your doctor.” She said, her voice stern. “I need to know how he blocked SAM. If they did something to her biotics implant, we need to know  **now.** ” Sara felt her eyes close, despite what her brain wanted to do.

“Sara!” Lexi said, peeling her eyes back open. “You need to stay awake!”

Her eyes closed anyway, before the world around her faded away.

__________________________________________

Hospital waiting rooms. So many were painted white and smelled beyond sterile. No matter how many second opinions they got from doctors, the waiting room  _ always _ looked the same, complete with outdated magazines on the tables.

The coffee was still terrible, the company either quiet or unavailable to begin with.

But there was still that dim, little flicker of hope whenever she was in one. It meant they were still fighting, still pushing her mom farther from her meeting with death. They were  _ doing  _ **_something_ ** .

For how far they had gotten with space travel, Sara was amazed that cancer was the one thing they couldn’t figure out how to cure. 

Chemo was still terrible and doctors ordered mom to put on weight so she could have the best chance in her body healing from her last round of chemo, only to be drowned in ‘just one more’.

Just one more, and it’ll get better.

But it didn’t. Sara still rocked with her mom when they were up all night, Ellen heaving into a toilet that Ellen had become best friends with over the past year. 

It didn’t get better at the grocery store, when Sara pushed her mom around in a wheelchair with a list that gave Santa a run for his credits. Didn’t get better when they went to a hospital supply store for things that only very old, retired people needed: a walker, a shower bench, a bed that they misused on many nights when Sara took her mom for a “drive” while watching an old western. 

Automated controls were  _ awesome. _ Sara got so good at making every action scene in a movie feel real that her mom teased her about working at Disneyland.

It didn’t get better when they scattered her ashes to the cold, brisk wind of London. Sara’s dress had whipped bitterly around her in the wind, her hair tangled as her mother’s ashes scattered around them.

But Dad hadn’t cried. Not once. He became even more involved in his work, and they had ended up in Andromeda.

But it did get better, in the end. Her mom was still on the Hyperion. Right?

Sara gasped loudly, sitting up straight in bed. She looked around, realizing she was back in her father’s chambers on Ark Hyperion.

“Sir.” She heard from a corner of the room. “She’s awake.” 

The door hissed open, a tall, built figure entering the room with a certain grace to his step. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach when he stopped in front of the bed, looking down at her. 

“Reyes?” She asked. He smiled, coming around to her side, taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to it. 

“Hey, you.” He said, winking. He looked over to the guard by their side, gesturing to the door. “Can you get Scott, Eduardo?” He asked. The man nodded, leaving them alone for a bit. 

“What happened?” She asked. Reyes smirked, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.

“You just went independent.” He said. “It’s all over the news. You look  _ fantastic _ in every one of them, I must say.” 

“Fuck.” Sara said, putting her hand over her forehead. “That really happened.”

“You are…” Reyes was having trouble completing the thought for a second, then continued. “Sara, you are  _ free. _ ”

“I...don’t really know what that means.” She said. He smiled gently.

“It means...your life belongs to  _ you _ , now. You are not bound by the Initiative or its rules.”

“It can’t be that easy.” She said. “They’ve probably repoed the ship.”

“They have no power to do so.” He said, producing a stack of documents for her. Sara’s eyes widened.

“Uhhh…” She said, looking from the stack of papers to Reyes. “What’s this?” She asked. 

“This is a new agreement.” He said. “Leadership has already signed.”

“I’m  _ not _ reading through all of this.” Sara said. 

“No need.” He said. “SAM will tell you all about it...and how someone had tried to turn SAM off after our little conversation with Addison.”

“So...that’s what happened?” She asked. 

“Partially.” He said. “My personal doctor--the one who had worked on you--had blocked SAM using your biotic implant.” He said. He looked like he was flinching inside, but he continued. “Forgive me, Sara, but we had to keep you off SAM’s radar. He was programmed to report to the Initiative.”

“And thereby ruining your master plan.” Sara said, carefully. Reyes nodded, shame causing him to look away. “Reyes…”

“Sara!” Scott barged through the doorway, with her crew trailing behind with various wrapped gifts. Sara lit up, accepting the hug Scott gave her.

“Hey, bro.” She said, smiling. 

“Tann is a fuckmuppet.” Gil said, also hugging her. “What the fuck, right?”

“Yeah.” She said, looking over to where Reyes had been sitting. He had disappeared. 

Again.

“So.” Vetra said. “How does it feel to know your boyfriend is Andromeda’s new Shadow Broker?”

“I…” Sara said, her brows knitted. The room was silent as she tried to collect herself, disappointment coming off of her in waves. “I think...I need some time to rest.” She said. Her heart hurt. Scott caught her gaze before nodding, turning to the group.

“Let’s go watch a movie.” He suggested. “I’ll be right out behind you guys.”

They didn’t want to leave, but they did so anyway. 

“What’s up?” Scott said, taking the seat Reyes had been sitting in before. 

“I...thought Reyes wouldn’t leave again.” She said. 

“Maybe reach out to him?” He asked. Sara gave him a sad smile.

“Last time I did, he never replied. I  _ did _ shoot him, but...I thought with all of this, he’d stick around.”

“Sara…” Scott said, taking her hand. “You need to move on with your life. For once, you have the run of the galaxy. So many people want to meet you, date you…”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over him, Scott.” She said. “Now that he has come back into my life, I want him to stay. I want him to...to…”

“Take care of you?” Scott asked. Sara sighed.

“I want to take care of him, too.” She said. “I want him to be the one that has my back. I know I have a crew, but Reyes...he’s different.”

“Because you love him.” Scott said. Sara’s eyes teared up.

“I love him.” She said. “I don’t even  _ know  _ him! But...I want to know him. I want him to know me. I want us to be there for each other.”

“He’s doing this to protect you.” Scott said. “Being the Shadow Broker has a lot of dangerous strings attached for those he loves.”

“That just makes it so much worse.” Sara said, tears dripping down her cheeks. “I can take care of myself. I’m the goddamned Pathfinder!”

“Looks like you need to remind him of how you can blow through anything.” Scott said, smirking. “The Ryder way.”

Sara smiled. “I have an idea.”


End file.
